Rotary internal-combustion engine



Aug. 10, 1954 B. SCHROUGHAM 2,685,868

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 22. 1950 Y JNVENTOR.

N70 Scflxauamw Aug. 10, 1954 B. SCHROUGHAM ROTARY. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22

INVENTOR.

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Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Benton Schrougham, Beech Grove, Ind.

Application September 22, 1950, Serial No. 186,134

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and more particularly to a rotary internal combustion engine.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an internal combustion engine having oppositely disposed combustion chambers in which is adapted to operate a pair of radially disposed pistons carried on a rotating shaft.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pair of radially disposed pistons, one'of which constitutes a combined power andcompression piston and the other of which provides a combined intake and exhaust piston.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby the power piston operates alternately in the explosion chambers and operates the scavenging and intake piston so that alternately a power stroke of the piston in one explosion chamber causes this piston to compress the explosive charge in the opposite combustion chamber.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view, parts being broken away, of the top cover plate.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base, partly in section and with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the engine. a

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the base with the top cover plate removed.

In the structure disclosed I provide a cylindrical block I 6 which is preferably circular in form and has formed therein intermediate of the top and bottom surfaces thereof oppositely disposed cylindrical chambers II and [2. A piston slot extends through the block, cutting the chambers II and I2 and extending to about the mid-point of each. The slot and chambers together form the combustion chambers I3 and M in which operate pistons l and I6. These pistons radially extend from a circular hub I! which not only mounts the pistons but divides the slot into two sections, which, as above mentioned, provide a pair of separate combustion chambers I3 and It.

The hub I! is mounted upon a shaft 18 which extends through the block l0 transversely of the chambers l3 and I4 and at one end projects beyond the block to provide a power takeoff and at the other end extends beyond the block to operate the ignition timer I9. 1

Cover plates 25 and 23 are secured to the top and bottom faces of the block l0,suitable gaskets being interposed between the rims of the plates and the rim of the block to provide a seal therebetween. The top cover plate 20 is provided with a slot 2| coincident with the combined chambers l3 and I4, and this slot is covered by an arcuate housing 22 on the outer face ofthe cover plate and has its inner side walls coincident with the chambers l3 and I4. The slot 2! cooperates with the combustion chambers 13 and I l and the chambers Hand [2 to form an extension thereof. The hub l1 extends through the slot 2! thereby providing in effect two slots which respectively coincide with the chambers l3 and M.

A similar cover plate 23 is secured to the under face of the block ID and this cover plate in turn is provided with a slot 24 enclosed by housing 25 on the outer surface of the plate which corresponds in structure and function to the housing 22.

An intake port 250, extends inwardly from the periphery of the block I0 taking a right angle bend 26 which extends to the upper face of the block and is in turn adapted to communicate with a secondary intake port 21 formed in the face of the plate 20 and in turn communicating with the chamber formed in the housing 22.

A similar intake port 28 having a similar bend 29 is formed in the block I!) and this bend 29 is adapted to coincide with a port 30 in the bottom plate 23 which in turn communicates with the interior of the housing 25. This intake port is disposed in the block opposite to the intake port 25a.

An exhaust port 3| extends through the bottom plate 23 from the inner tothe outer face thereof and this port in turn coincides with an exhaust port 32 formed in the block In and with an exhaust chamber 33 in the block II] which in turn communicates with chamber l2.

A similar exhaust port 35 extends through the top plate 20 from the outer to the inner face thereof which exhaust port coincides with an exhaust port 35 extending from an exhaust chamber 38 in turn communicating with the interior of the chamber I I.

A valve ring 31 is-rotatably mounted on the top face of the block I0 and operates between the top plate 26 and this top face of the block. The ring is rotatably driven through the medium of a gear 38 on the shaft [8 which meshes with gear teeth 39 on the underside of the ring 31. This ring has formed therein valve openings or ports 40 which are adapted to control the intake port bend 26 and the'exhaust port 35 in the upper half of this structure. A similar valve ring 41 is mounted between the meeting faces of the block I and the cover plate 23. This valve ring is driven in the same manner as the top valve ring and is provided with control port 42 which control the exhaust port 3| and the intake ports 28, 29.

A rotatable valve control plate 43 is mounted above the valve ring 31 and has its periphery overlapping that ring. Like the valve ring, it is interposed between the meeting faces of the block I0 and the top cover plate 20.

Suitable accommodating grooves 44 and 45 are provided respectively in the top face of the block l3 and the bottom face of plate 2|) to accommodate the gear teeth 46 on the-underside of this valve plate and the sealing ring 41 on the top face of the valve plate. Gear teeth 4'3 are adapted to mesh with the timing gear 48 on the shaft l8 so that this valve plate is driven in timed relation with the valve ring.

The valve plate at its outer periphery is provided-with control ports 43 which are adapted to cooperate in timed relation with the control ports 40 in the valve ring 37. This plate 43 is provided with an arcuate opening 50 which connects with acircular opening the circular opening being provided to accommodate the hub I'I.

Overlaying the valve ring 4| is a valve plate 52 similar to valve plate 43 and provided with an opening similar to the opening 50 in plate 43 and with a central opening similar to the opening 5| in said plate.

This valve plate 52 is provided with control ports 54 which cooperate with the control ports 42 in the valve ring 4| to control the intake and exhaust of the operating combustion chambers in a manner similar to that of the ports 49 in plate 43.

Into the chambers H and I2 there are projected ignition points of spark plugs 55 and 56 which are inserted through suitable openings in the block Ill.

The timer l9 carries the necessary timing contacts which are 50 related as to close the circuit through the respective spark plugs 55 and 56 alternatively at the end of the compression stroke. Each of the pistons I5 and I8 is provided with side plates 51 which are biased outwardly and a movable block 58 radially movable between the side plates 51, which parts provide sealing means between the piston arms and the side walls of the slots and housing, functioning in a manner similar to piston rings.

In operation, it will be assumed that piston I6 has moved to the end of its compression stroke in chamber l2. In this position the Valve plate 52 has uncovered the underside of slot chamber M and valve plate 43 has covered the top of chamber |2. At the same time plate 52 has covered the lower side of chamber and plate 43 has moved to uncover the top of chamber l2. As piston I6 continues to move on its explosion stroke the front face of the piston will be compressing a charge in front of it against plate 52.

We will also assume that a charge has been compressed in the chamber I4. Under these circumstances the ports in the valve plate 43 and valve ring 3! are in a position to close the exhaust port 34 of chamber H and likewise in a position to close the inlet ports 29 for this chamber.

Thecharge having been ignited and exploded above the piston I6, will drive the piston I6 downwardly moving it through the lower side of chamber l4 and through the slot 24 and the housblock.

During this movement the cover plate 53 is closing the bottom side of chamber l3 and as the piston I6 moves on its explosion stroke it is also compressing a charge in the housing slot of housing 25 against plate 52. During this movement plates 43 and 4| being oppositely disposed and both rotating in a counterclockwise direction, plate 43 continues to cover the top of chamber I2 and plate 52 enclosing chamber although plate 43 is moving to uncover the top of chamber l2 and cover the top of chamber Il.

As piston l5 moves out of the chamber IS the ports in valve ring 31 and in valve plate 20 coincide, thereby opening intake port 25 to chamber l2 and opening exhaust port 34 to chamber As piston I5 moves through the chamber in the arcuate housing 22 it will draw in through port 25 an explosive charge which will pass into, behind piston |5, the chamber I4. By this time also the valve plate 43 will be covering the top of chamber |4 while the valve plate 52 will be opening the bottom of this chambed to permit the compressed charge in the chamber and housing 25 to move into chamber I2. During the movementof piston l5 the exhaust port 35 for chamber II will have been opened by the ports in the ring 31 and the ports in the periphery of the valve plate 43 coming into coincident relation with each other and into coincident relation with the exhaust port 34 so that piston I5 will be scavenging chamber 'until the end of the piston passes the exhaust chamber 36.

Under these circumstances there will now be a compressed charge in chamber l2 and when the piston passes substantially through chamber l2 this compressed charge will be fired behind piston l5. The front face of piston I5 then as it moves through a chamber in housing 22 Will be compressing the intake charge in the chamber 2| and into the chamber I2, it being understood that during this movement valve plate 52 will be covering the lower face of chamber I2, valve plate 43 will be uncovering the top face of chamber I2, and valve plate 52 will be covering the bottom face of chamber so that by the time the compressed charge is exploded in chamber piston I5 will be moving upwardly on an explosion stroke and at the same time will be moving through the chamber in housing 22 to compress the charge which has been taken into said housing now occupying the chamber in housing 22 into chamber I2.

During this movement the piston I'E will be moving downwardly with exhaust port 32 opened and intake port 28 opened so that as the piston I6 moves through its lower are it will be moving to exhaust the exploded charge in chamber H and drawing in a charge behind the piston through the intake port 23.

It is thus apparent that piston I6 is a, combined power and compression piston operating alternatively on a power stroke in the alternate chambers II and I2 and that while piston I6 is movin on its combined power and compression stroke piston I5 is moving on a combined exhaust and intake stroke.

The invention claimed is:

The combination with a base having top and bottom faces, a driving shaft extending through said base intermediate of its faces, said base having a pair of explosive chambers formed therein intermediate of its faces and disposed respectively on opposite sides of said shaft and having intake and exhaust ports extending to the outside of said base, a transverse slot extending through said said slot on the outer surfaces on each of said 5 base controllably controlling communication between the slots in said cover plate and the slots in the explosive chambers in said base, said valve plates having peripherally disposed port controlling openings and a pair of valve rings respectively interposed between the cover plates and 15 the faces of said base having control ports cooperating with the control ports of said valve plates 6 for controlling the intake and exhaust openings in said explosive chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,106,666 Miller Aug. 11, 1914 1,332,468 Henig et a1 Mar. 2, 1920 1,562,299 Cundy Nov. 17, 1925 1,713,378 Engman May 14, 1929 1,719,378 Moritz July 2, 1929 1,960,971 Fisher May 29, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 339,761 Germany Aug. 6, 1921 

